Developer: Codiwans
Publisher: Codiwans
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Little Lighthouse of Horror – Review
Is being a lighthouse keeper really the best profession for introverts who love being alone? Horror would have us believe otherwise since those tiny, isolated islands often become the backdrop for horrifying events in movies and games. Such is also the case in Little Lighthouse of Horror, a resource management game by indie developer Codiwans. A mere six weeks is how long you’ll have to stay sane while also making sure no ships crash into the cliffs around your island. But this is a task that is much easier said than done.
Story
Do you have to be some sort of crazy person to go live in a lighthouse? We certainly feel it’s a pretty bad decision, especially if several people have gone missing there before. But the main character in Little Lighthouse of Horror has signed up for the job. At the start of the game, he’s dropped off on the island with a simple set of instructions on how to operate the lighthouse. Three previous lighthouse keepers went missing, and as the game progresses, you slowly get to find out what happened to them and what drove the main character to pick this job. You don’t choose to go live far away from society if you don’t have a very good reason.
The game is short but has an interesting enough plot that kept us engaged. While the events of this game are inspired by the Flannan Isles mystery, a real lighthouse where three keepers mysteriously went missing in the early 1900s, this version of the story takes a more supernatural approach to the events.
Graphics
We quite enjoyed the minimalistic pixel art approach of Little Lighthouse of Horror. The graphics are very simple, with only the use of a few dark colors and an excellent grasp of lighting. The only other color that sometimes pops up is red, and you know exactly what that means in a horror game. The location of the island where you spend the entire runtime of the game is small but with plenty of detail. The few cutscenes were more complex to the extent of sometimes fully changing the style, which was a great way to make them stand out from the main parts of the game.
Sound
Similarly, we can’t describe the soundtrack as anything except simple. The music was enjoyable in how it blended into the background and knew when to pick up to enhance tense moments. We also liked how the sound effects aided the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the game, with creaky wooden stairs and distant seagull calls keeping us company throughout the night. The constant lapping of the sea against the rocks is sure to drive any player to madness in a good way. There is no voice acting in this game.
Gameplay
Little Lighthouse of Horror is a horror resource management game that starts off nice and easy, only to then slowly escalate until it’s a truly challenging experience. There are no saves in the game, though there is a checkpoint system so you don’t lose too much progress should you die. The game provides you a handy manual that explains in detail the various weather situations you can expect to face on the island and how the lighthouse has to be operated during them, but not much else in the way of tutorials. Bright nights mean you can relax, while dark or even stormy nights require you to keep the lighthouse fueled up constantly. If there’s fog, you also need to use the bells on top of the lighthouse to alert passing ships of rocks and cliffs the light can’t illuminate. Too many ships crash, and you lose your job.
And no, keeping the lighthouse running isn’t as simple as flicking a switch to turn it on. You’ll have to manually pump up the kerosene from the tank on the ground. This tank also needs to be filled with new canisters to keep the flow going. In between these tasks, you also have to make sure you meet your character’s other needs. Mainly, this means sleeping, eating, keeping warm, and making sure your sanity doesn’t deplete. Since you’re on an island, supplies are only dropped off once a week, and you have to raise flags to alert the mainland of what supplies you want. If you forget, you’re going to receive a big old box of nothing. Some resources can be obtained on the island itself, such as food you grow in your garden and wood from chopped trees to keep you warm. But it won’t be enough to keep going. And should you run out of kerosene, you’re completely out of luck.
This is already not the easiest job, but things get harder as the game continues. Not only is frightful weather more common, but the story also throws a wrench in your careful planning or routines. Little Lighthouse of Horror is a short experience with only one ending, but you might want to play it a few times through just to keep enjoying the fun resource management mechanic.
Conclusion
From an indie developer who never made another game before, we’ll say that Little Lighthouse of Horror feels like an instant hit. The atmosphere is extremely creepy, the management of running the lighthouse is unique enough so you’re not just playing another walking simulator, and we were interested in the mystery behind it all. All in all, a great budget-friendly title for some instant spookiness.
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